Entry Fee To Be Hiked At US National Parks For Foreigners

After visa fee hike, the Trump government is readying to hike entry fee for tourists at the national parks in US. From Jan. 1 next year, foreign tourists to the Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and other popular national parks in the US will have to shell a higher visiting fee, as much as $100 per person. The fee is in addition to the existing $35 being charged per vehicle entering the premises.

The new fee was announced by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum. Foreign tourists will also see a sharp price increase for an annual parks pass, to $250 per vehicle. However, US residents will continue to be charged $80 for an annual pass. The steep hike in the fee puts US in line with other nations that charge more from foreigners, when they visit popular tourist attractions. But, businesses depending on tourist spots fear it could discourage travelers and hit their revenues, while the government authorities argue that it would generate more money for the cash-strapped parks.

A motel owner at the Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana said that nearly 15% of his customers are foreigners, coming from Canada, China, Spain, India, Germany and France. The tourists already pay $35 per vehicle to enter the park. Adding $100 per person, he feared, would discourage foreigners from visiting Glacier. The hiked charge will apply at Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Yosemite and Zion national parks.

Officials said that the new fee structure described as “America-first pricing” will see international visitors contribute to maintaining parks. For Yellowstone park, the hike would generate $55 million annually, which help in fixing deteriorating trails and aging bridges. At the same time, an analysis estimated that the hike would result in a drop of about 1% of the visitors to the popular national parks.

It is being projected that if the charges for foreigners were extended to all park sites across the nation, it would generate more than $1 billion from an estimated 14 million international visitors annually. The US officials tried to justify the hike stating that Ecaudor’s Galapagos Islands charge $200 per adult while Ecuadorian nationals pay only $30.

Meanwhile, concerns are being raised about the overburden it would cast on the existing employees, in the wake of the 25% of the park staff being removed in the last few months, as part of cost-cutting measures. It is being argued that national parks should be available and accessible to all. Else, it is being feared that America’s best idea will become America’s greatest shakedown.